Hy-Vee grilling Austin Snyder's 'better burger' Saturday

Glidden-Ralston sixth-grader wins summer contest

Hy-Vee dietitian Meghan Hansen is pictured with Austin Synder of Glidden, who won the store’s “Build a Better Burger” contest this summer.

August 16, 2013

Eleven-year-old Austin Snyder of Glidden built it. Hy-Vee in Carroll is grilling it. And you can come.

Austin, who started his sixth-grade year at Glidden-Ralston this week, won Carroll Hy-Vee's competitive "Build a Better Burger Contest" with a specially seasoned ground beef-based delight he calls "The Cowboy."

Hy-Vee will grill Snyder's creation from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

Cost is $3.50. The store also will sell the uncooked patties in the meat department this weekend for customers to take home and toss on their own grills.

Austin, son of Wayne and Brandy Snyder of Glidden, earned a $50 gift certificate toward groceries at Hy-Vee. His mother said Austin spent the money this week for a family dinner of chicken cordon bleu over rice with hollandaise sauce.

As for the burger contest, Carroll Hy-Vee dietitian Meghan Hansen of Audubon said participants were tasked with creating "tasty, healthy and original burgers."

While high-quality ground beef is a popular choice, contestants weren't limited to beef mixtures. They could use pork, salmon, tuna, turkey or bison.

The event proved popular for Hy-Vee, Hansen said.

"I'd love to be able to run it next year," she said.

The Snyders and Hy-Vee say the top recipe uses Cajun seasoning and other spices along with barbecue sauce. Cheese is optional. Austin prefers pepperjack.

Hansen said she found it inspiring that Austin would use his winnings to pay for a home-cooked dinner for his family, which includes siblings Macy, 9; Emmett, 7; and Allison, 4 - all students in the Glidden-Ralston schools. Wayne Snyder is an employee of Pella Corp. in Carroll.